


Merman

by JMount74



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:12:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29787642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JMount74/pseuds/JMount74
Summary: He’d always wanted to be a merman. Ever since he was old enough to swim and read, his life had been filled with the sea and the things in the sea.A twist of fate may just give him that wish.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Merman

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by a post thread on Tumblr, a 'what if' scenario.  
> The link to the original post is here:
> 
> https://gumnut-logic.tumblr.com/post/644454105183633408/thatkidwholikesthunderbirds-gumnut-logic-had

He’d always wanted to be a merman. Ever since he was old enough to swim and read, his life had been filled with the sea and the things in the sea.

No-one would ever convince the child that there were no such things as mermaids, he fully intended to marry one. He’d give his legs up if he could be one.

Then life had gotten real. He was thrown for a loop after achieving the greatest success he had ever reached for. He went from Gold Medallist to paraplegic in less than 24 months, losing the use of his legs in a hydrofoil accident that almost cost his life. 

But Gordon Cooper Tracy was never less than determined. His mom had weaved stories of how tenacious her little sunbeam was, clinging onto life when for all intents and purposes he should not have survived.

He was the embodiment of Tracy determination.   
And this was no different.

When their father had set up International Rescue Gordon had been a cadet in WASP with the intention of serving his three years, learning all he could about subs and leaving to join his brothers as the aquanaut.

Three months before the end of his second year, almost exactly two years to the day he had won gold, and that dream was scuppered. Well and truly. But he fought it, with all the might and will that he had as a babe, and instead of being a quadriplegic he became a paraplegic.

He had feeling in his upper lumbar region – god, did he have feeling there, it hurt constantly – but no ability to use his legs at all. And he didn’t want to talk about anything else that wasn’t working, thank you very much.

But Gordon had not fought back to fitness just to sit back and watch his brothers head into danger without him. None of them came close to understanding the sea and her varied moods, could maintain deep sea diving to rescue people, could use Four like he could.

Their dad had gone six months after his accident and never got to see how fit Gordon became, and so it fell to Scott.

Scott said no.

He argued with him, pleaded, begged even, but Scott held fast. No way was he ever going to put Gordon in a situation that could endanger his life again. His brother was deaf to the retort that it was alright for the others to risk their lives over and over again. Scott held firm.

So Gordon did what Gordon did best. He schemed. He challenged. He worked. Hard.

Eight months later and Gordon broached the subject again with Scott. As expected, he was knocked back. But Gordon brought out his big weapon.

Brains had worked miracles with his Thunderbirds, and the Tracy’s knew it. So when Gordon challenged him to create a suit that he could use, Brains was more than excited at the challenge.

Scott was dubious, and Gordon knew he would be. Brains took them both on a tour of Four and the designed adjustments for Gordon. Scott nodded in all the right places, but Gordon knew it wasn’t enough.

It would be the suit that sold it. Brains had outdone himself. Taking the neoprene used in their suits, he had managed to weave Cahelium into it. He’d also created thin foldable spines to give support, as well as a system that allowed Gordon’s muscle movements to move the suit in the water.

They took to the water to showcase his suit to Scott. Gordon’s suit looked no different to his brothers except for the spines down his legs and the extra thick parts on the sides of his boots. There was a special button on his baldric.

Scott was in the pool and waited patiently while his fish brother manoeuvred himself into the water. Once he’d slid into the deep end Gordon pressed the button. Three of the spines swivelled to hold his legs together, while the thick sides of his boots unfurled into a dolphin’s tale, and Scott watched, absolutely speechless, as his brother tore through the water, faster even than when he competed.

By the time Gordon had completed ten laps of the pool and stopped to see his brother’s reaction, Scott was openly crying. Making his way across they hugged tightly, both now crying.

‘Welcome aboard, Thunderbird Four,’ Scott said.

It may have taken over 20 years, and he did indeed give up his legs for it, but Gordon was finally a merman.


End file.
